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Who is Kwame Alexander? Kwame Alexander is a poet, publishing consultant, playwright, burgeoning television producer, and the author of Dancing Naked on the Floor (poems and essays), an April 2005 release from The Writer's Lair Books. Don't Miss The Official Book Party click here According to Publisher’s Weekly, Midwest Book Review, and the National Association of Women in Publishing, thirty-six year old Kwame Alexander is a pivotal figure in contemporary American literature and publishing. He is the author of eight books—including the best-selling Do The Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success, Kupenda: Love Poems, and Book of Rhymes, a collection of young adult short stories. Alexander has hosted and produced over two
hundred live literary-related readings, programs and festivals, and is
currently developing a two literary-related television programs. As
a literary expert and commentator, he has appeared on a variety of
television and radio programs including Fox News, Tavis Smiley, BET’s Teen’s
Summit, News Channel 8’s Entertainment Forecast,
NBC Affiliate WBAL (Baltimore), Washington, DC stations WKYS,
WMMJ, WHMM, and WPGC; and NPR’s Kojo Namdi Show. He has also been
featured in the Washington Post, Poets and Writers Magazine,
Publisher’s Weekly, Detroit Metro-Times, Washington Times, Sacramento
Observer, Baltimore Sun, Vibe Magazine, Source Magazine, and The
Virginia Pilot-Ledger Star. The
founder of two book publishing companies, BlackWords Press and Do The
Write Thing, this publishing veteran of over fifteen years is
responsible for some of the most progressive, original and exciting
fiction and non-fiction on the shelves today, having published over
forty authors in different genres, including: M. Dion Thompson, former
Baltimore Sun reporter and author of the critically-acclaimed historical
novel Walk Like A Natural
Man, and Lalita Noronha,
author of the short story collection, Where Monsoons
Cry. Dubbed
a “phenom” in the poetry world by The Charleston (SC) City Paper,
Alexander has wowed audiences with his electric readings and lectures at
coffeehouses, theatres, and universities across the country and abroad.
In 2002 and 2004, Alexander was selected as a special guest author for
the Library of Congress Poets at Noon Series, and The Washington
Post-Maryland Center for the Book Evening in The Stacks Gala. Recently,
Alexander served as a script consultant for the PBS series Moneywise;
and scriptwriter for the National
Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) PSA,
narrated by Bill Cosby. Two of his plays, The Seventh Son, and Nervosis,
have been produced in Washington, DC, at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre
and the Capital Renaissance Theatre/H Street Playhouse, respectively. Kwame
Alexander has served as a judge for several local and national literary
awards, including the Georgia Writer’s Awards, and the Washington, DC
Parkmont Poetry Awards. Among his many board appointments are The
CityLit Project, Baltimore’s Artscape Festival, and the Hippodrome
Arts & Education Committee. Alexander has participated as a
“poet-in-the-school” for Arlington, VA, Little Rock, AK, and Denver,
CO public schools. Alexander divides his time between Northern Virginia, and Hollywood, where he is at work on several television projects. He loves a good game of chess, and, from time to time, he can be seen dancing (fully clothed) in the snow! For Kwame's upcoming appearances, readings and other events, click here. |
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